Moving Away From Singapore

Why people leave

Singapore is a genuinely smaller, more niche origin corridor than most named markets on this site — its outward movement is overwhelmingly driven by its large, inherently time-bound foreign workforce rather than broad citizen emigration. MOM's December 2025 figures put the total foreign workforce at roughly 1,635,700, made up of Work Permit holders (about 1,222,700), Employment Pass holders (203,300), and S Pass holders (178,900). Because most of these arrangements are tied to a specific job, departures track contract endings, project completions, and pass expiries rather than a wider voluntary-emigration trend — most Singapore-origin shipments belong to expatriate professionals and their families relocating at the end of an assignment.

Departure checklist

1. Your employer must file IRAS Form IR21 at least one month before your last working day or departure date, whichever is earlier — this triggers mandatory tax clearance
2. Expect your employer to withhold your final salary, bonus, and leave pay until IRAS issues its Clearance Directive; funds legally cannot be released before clearance
3. Cancel or let lapse your Employment Pass, S Pass, or Work Permit through MOM once employment ends
4. Apply to AVS for a pet export licence (valid 90 days from issue) before booking travel, plus any destination-specific veterinary health certificate, and schedule a pre-export inspection if required
5. Cancel your dog's licence in the PALS system once your pet has been exported, if applicable
6. Understand your CPF account's rules and options for members leaving Singapore permanently
7. Give notice on your lease, and cancel or transfer utilities and mobile/broadband contracts
8. Notify your bank, insurer, and any local subscriptions of your departure and forwarding address
9. Deregister your vehicle with LTA and settle any outstanding COE paperwork if you aren't shipping it

Container shipping corridors from here

Country-to-country container guides from Singapore will appear here as they are published. Destination country guides and the quote form are available now.

Exit tax and customs

Singapore's departure process runs through the workplace rather than a personal filing: IRAS requires your employer to submit Form IR21 for tax clearance at least one month before your last working day or departure, whichever is earlier. By law, employers must withhold your final pay — salary, bonus, leave pay, and allowances — until IRAS issues a Clearance Directive; any shortfall is paid from what's withheld and any excess refunded to you. This is general orientation only, not tax advice — confirm your specific position with IRAS or your employer's payroll/HR team.

This is general orientation, not tax, legal, or immigration advice.